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| Southern snow crab fishery to be closed |
The Minister for Fisheries, Kim Chance, has announced he is temporarily prohibiting commercial fishing for snow crabs on the south coast.
Mr Chance said the measure was needed to ensure the sustainability of snow crab stocks on the south coast in the light of the growing interest in targeting this species.
He said there were fears of a ‘gold rush’ of interested persons following the success of the experimental west coast snow crab fishery.
“Lucrative returns have been reported for the west coast experimental snow crab fishery and that has led to a sudden and substantial interest in snow crab fishing on the south coast,” he said.
“It is likely that if no action is taken fishing will increase within a few months to a level that is considered likely to create risks for the sustainability of south coast snow crab stocks.
“Snow crabs on the south coast will be protected for one year to allow a management plan to be formulated and further research to be undertaken.”
Because snow crabs were an exported product and particularly vulnerable to over fishing, Mr Chance said both the Western Australian Government and Environment Australia needed to be satisfied that the fishery was being adequately managed and met the criteria for ecologically sustainable development.
“We also want to make sure that we manage the fishery so that it provides an on-going return to the State and does not become a ‘boom and bust’ fishery,” he said
Snow crabs are a top end seafood and the catches are mainly for live export to the Asian market.
Currently, the fishery is managed through a licence condition that allows the take of all species of deep-sea crab and they are usually caught in association with commercial rock lobster fishing.
Fisheries Department scientist Dr Roy Melville-Smith said little was known about the species and in particular southern stocks, but it is likely they would be vulnerable to heavy fishing pressure.
“They are long lived, live in very deep water and are found at depths around 600 metres,” he said.
“They usually occupy a relative narrow depth range and therefore the stocks are thinly spread along the coast.”
The taking of snow crabs will be banned between the western border of the Windy Harbour- Augusta rock lobster fishery (near Cape Leeuwin) and the South Australian border.
A number of operators have invested heavily to fish the snow crabs on the south coast using as many as 1000 crab traps each.
There have also been numerous other inquiries about the fishery, including from fishermen who had worked in the Alaska snow crab fishery.
Falling catches in the Alaskan snow crab fishery may also have fuelled increased Asian market interest in the local product.
Mr Chance said the Department of Fisheries would develop a management plan over the next 12 months.
The Department of Fisheries is working on the required legislative amendments to protect the snow crab on the south coast and it expects to have them in place before the end of August.
The Department of Fisheries has accompanying pictures if needed.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dr Roy Melville-SmithResearch Scientist crab fisheryPh: 92468406 (Mob): Jenny HodderSenior Public Relations CoordinatorPh: 9482 7235 (Mob): 0418 901 767
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